Pink Saturday - Lucky Cat

Beverly at the blog How Sweet the Sound has a great idea! It's Pink Saturday. Post about something pink, on Saturday. Here are the rules if you want to Get Pink!

This is my pink Maneki Neko, or Lucky Cat. Also called a "Beckoning Cat" or "Welcoming Cat," it is a Japanese statuette meant to bring luck. You see them a lot in Japanese restaurants and stores. The symbol dates from the Edo period, and became really popular during the Meiji period, in the late 19th century.

There are many legends surrounding the Lucky Cat. One has it that a nobleman out walking noticed a cat beckoning to him, and, responding, he slipped a trap that had been awaiting him. Another has a courtesan's beloved cat pawing her kimono, until she realizes it is warning her about a snake. There is another belief that a cat washing its face means a visitor will arrive. The Lucky Cat is associated with good fortune coming in the door - whether it is many customers to one's business, or many good things in one's personal life.

Maneki Neko come in many colors, and are depicted holding different symbols. They may also hold up either left or right paw, or both, depending on whether one wishes good fortune in one's personal life or in business.

I got my Maneki Neko in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. It is not the traditional form of the statue, but a funny fat little minx of a cat. And she's pink, which is not a traditional color, although it's very popular nowadays, and is associated with romance. She holds a coin, which brings money and wealth.

At home, my Maneki Neko sits on my bathroom cabinet, where I hope she'll bring me luck in the form of good hair days and smear-free eye-makeup.

While visiting Little Tokyo, we also visited the Fugetsu-Do Sweet Shop, where they were offering beautifully colored mochi sweets. Aren't they pretty? And pink?

We stepped into little variety stores full of toys and manga figures. There were also packages of origami paper for sale, and little coin purses made from kimono fabric - they looked like Lucky Cats, too.

I bought one big enough to hold a lipstick. And it's pink!

We discovered a secret little courtyard bar, where we sat for a moment. I ordered a pink cocktail.

And how was your Pink Saturday?